BERRYVILLE, Ark. – The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) announced that Harris Publications, a leading publisher of special interest publications and owner of such titles as Combat Handguns and the popular websites Tactical-Life.com and PersonalDefenseWorld.com, is returning as a major sponsor of the IDPA U.S. National Championship.

“We are extremely pleased to again be working with Harris Publications to put on this year’s U.S. Nationals. Harris has always been a strong supporter of IDPA and we’re proud to continue that great relationship,” said Robert Ray, membership and marketing director for IDPA.

Harris Publications joins Brownells, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Wilson Combat as a gold level sponsor of the championship which takes place September 9 thru 13 at the U.S. Shooting Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The match is expected to draw over 300 of the sport’s top shooters.

“Harris couldn't be more proud to continue our support of a sport we believe so much in. IDPA participants are a special breed of progressive folks, always looking to improve their personal best. We commend them for their achievements and participation with the world's greatest bunch of folks you could ever meet,” said Shirley Steffen of Harris Publications.

For more information on IDPA, or to join the nearly 24,000 IDPA members competing each week, visit www.IDPA.com.

BERRYVILLE, Ark. – The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) announced that open registration for the second annual Smith & Wesson Back Up Gun Nationals will take place Tuesday, July 1, starting at noon eastern time.

Based on the small, subcompact pistols and revolvers used for concealed carry and personal defense, the Smith & Wesson IDPA Back Up Gun Nationals consists of shooting strings utilizing a maximum of five rounds and stages made up of one or more shooting strings with multiple starts allowing competitors to reload off the clock.

The 2014 Smith & Wesson Back Up Gun Nationals will take place November 6-8, 2014, and will be held on the indoor ranges of the Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. Competitors will compete in either the Pistol or Revolver division.

The competition is open to any current IDPA member. To register, go to MatchReg.com/BUG. To select a classification, IDPA members should use their highest classification in the three pistol divisions (CDP, ESP, SSP) or the two revolver divisions (ESR, SSR).

For more information on IDPA, the Smith & Wesson IDPA Back Up Gun Nationals or to join the nearly 24,000 members competing each week, visit www.IDPA.com.

COMO, Miss. - The DeSoto Rifle and Pistol Club in Como, will host 70 of the top shooters from Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas this July 26th, for a premier 2014 Mississippi IDPA match.

“As only one of two IDPA clubs in the state of Mississippi, we are working hard to bring IDPA back to the minds of people in and around our area” said Will Schmied, President of the DeSoto Rifle and Pistol Club. “Future plans include Tier 2 sanctioned matches.”

IDPA competition is the most practical of the shooting sports. During competition a shooter can expect to face several stages, or courses of fire, each designed around a potential real world scenario featuring a variety of targets and obstacles, which he or she must navigate in the shortest period of time with the highest degree of accuracy.

The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) is the international governing body for the sport of Defensive Shooting. With 350 affiliated clubs and over 23,000 members, IDPA is the largest competitive pistol organization in the U.S. providing competitive shooting opportunities for shooters of all ages and skill levels.

For more information about the DeSoto Rifle and Pistol Club, please visit www.desotogunrange.com or call Chris Schmied, Business Officer, at 901-568-7420. For more information on the International Defensive Pistol Association, visit www.IDPA.com or contact the IDPA at (870) 545-3886.

BERRYVILLE, Ark. – Brownells – The World's Largest Supplier of Firearms Accessories and Gunsmithing Tools™ − is back as a major sponsor of the International Defensive Pistol Association’s U.S. National Championship.

Brownells joins the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Wilson Combat as a gold level sponsor of the 2014 championship which takes place September 9 thru 13 at the U.S. Shooting Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The match is expected to draw over 300 of the sport’s top shooters.

“Few companies understand the competitive shooter better than Brownells,” said Joyce Wilson, executive director for IDPA. “They have always been a generous supporter of our matches around the country and IDPA is pleased to announce that Brownells will once again be a major sponsor of our U.S. Nationals.”

“IDPA is a great organization with many fun and challenging matches throughout the country. It is especially exciting to be sponsoring the U.S. Nationals again which is always one of our favorite events of the year,” said Brownells President/COO, Matt Buckingham.

For more information on IDPA, or to join the nearly 24,000 IDPA members competing each week, visit www.IDPA.com.

BERRYVILLE, Ark. – The latest issue of the Tactical Journal, the quarterly membership publication of the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) is now available online.

Focusing on the importance of increasing female participation in IDPA, Tactical Journal contributor Jaci Janes takes a critical look at where IDPA currently stands and where we need to go from here.

“Anyone who’s involved in IDPA knows that we have a unique and special thing going, with an incredible amount of wonderful people participating. The problem is that a relatively small number of people ever get the chance to experience it, and an even fewer amount of women will see that our sport has a great deal to offer,” writes Janes in her cover story, ‘Drawing Women to the IDPA.’

In major match coverage, Tactical Journal Editor Robert Ray reports on one of IDPA’s premier matches, the Smith & Wesson Indoor Nationals, noting, “I have often said that IDPA people are good people no matter where you go and the people at S&W are the best example of that statement. They go out of their way to make sure you have a good time and that you have the best match possible.”

Additional features include Phil Torres’ look at the importance of Squad Safety Officers – more commonly referred to at ‘Squad Moms.’ Ken Reed talks eye safety in ‘Another Side of Z87.1 Eyewear,’ while Team RangeLog’s Morgan Allen offers up valuable insights in his ‘Pro-Tips’ article. Finally, IDPA offers up advice on getting local press coverage for your next match.

Also in this issue is Joyce Wilson’s ‘Director’s Message,’ Kitty Richard’s regular column, ‘From A Woman’s Perspective,’ Jason Mather’s look at the GoPro for filming your match performance, Robert Ray’s review of the Lionheart LH9 pistol, Rick Breneman’s report from the Washington State Championship, tips on starting your own King of New England style series and the popular Trophy Room section featuring IDPA members who recently paid a visit to the winner’s circle at their match.

“IDPA members are really responding to the new layout of our redesigned Tactical Journal and we’ve received great feedback on this issue which offers a wide range of content that any fan of IDPA and defensive shooting will appreciate,” said Ray.

This and past issues of the Tactical Journal are posted here on IDPA.com. For more information on IDPA, or to join the nearly 24,000 IDPA members competing each week, visit www.IDPA.com.

BERRYVILLE, Ark. – The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) announced that Wilson Combat, the famed 1911 manufacturer, is back as one of the major sponsors of IDPA’s annual U.S. National Championship.

Wilson Combat joins the National Shooting Sports Foundation as a gold level sponsor of the championship which takes place September 9 thru 13 at the U.S. Shooting Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The match is expected to draw over 300 of the sport’s top shooters.

“We are very pleased to have the ongoing support of Wilson Combat, one of the most recognized names in custom 1911 pistols for competition and personal defense use, as well as a favorite among many IDPA members,” said Robert Ray, membership and marketing director for IDPA.

“Wilson Combat is excited to be back as a sponsor of the 2014 IDPA U.S National Championships. We are extremely proud of IDPA and everything it does for shooting sports around the nation. We look forward to supporting this match for many years to come,” Tressa Bohannan, marketing director for Wilson Combat.

For more information on IDPA, or to join the nearly 24,000 IDPA members competing each week, visit www.IDPA.com.

BERRYVILLE, Ark. – Organizers of the 18th Annual Massachusetts State IDPA Championship, presented by Smith & Wesson, announced the four stages that will be part of this year’s Apex King of New England series.

The Massachusetts State IDPA Championship is the first leg of a three match King of New England series which is once again presented by Apex Tactical Specialties. The three event concurrent competition features four (4) stages from each of New England’s biggest IDPA matches.

The stages counting towards the 2014 King of New England title are stages 2, 3, 8 and 9. Stage 5 will serve as the alternate King of New England stage. You can review all 10 stages of the course of fire online at IDPA.com.

“The Massachusetts State Championship is ready to kick things off in the battle for the King of New England and we think the four stages we’ve selected are a fitting start for this popular series,” said John Catterall, match director for the championship.

The match will be hosted by the Rod & Gun Club of New Bedford which has hosted the match since 1997. Match staff and VIPs are set to shoot on Friday, June 6, followed by the main body of competitors taking on the 10 stage match Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8.

For more information on IDPA, 18th Annual Massachusetts State IDPA Championship, presented by Smith & Wesson, or to join IDPA members competing each week, visit www.IDPA.com.

BERRYVILLE, Ark. – The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) announced that the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, will for the seventh year in a row be a major sponsor of IDPA’s annual U.S. National Championship.

Since 2008, the close working relationship between IDPA and NSSF has helped grow participation in IDPA dramatically. As part of the organization’s overall mission to promote the shooting sports in America, NSSF has again partnered with IDPA to make the sport’s National Championship one of the best.

“We are very pleased to once again be working with NSSF and to have their generous support as we prepare to host this year’s IDPA U.S. National Championship. It is with the help of sponsors like NSSF that IDPA has been able to hold such a wonderful showcase for the premier shooters in our sport” said Joyce Wilson, executive director of IDPA.

"IDPA's growth continues to be nothing short of remarkable, and NSSF is committed to helping the sport continue its record growth," said Chris Dolnack, NSSF senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "NSSF is proud to support IDPA and this year's 2014 IDPA National Championships."

Hosted by the U.S. Shooting Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the 2014 IDPA U.S. National Championship will take place September 9 thru 13 and are again expected to draw over 300 of the sport’s top shooters. NSSF will be a gold level sponsor of the event.

For more information on IDPA, or to join the more the nearly 24,000 IDPA members competing each week around the country, visit www.IDPA.com.

About NSSF: The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 10,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.

About IDPA: Founded in 1996, the International Defensive Pistol Association is the international governing body for IDPA competition which offers shooters a fun, safe, and challenging format to practice and test their gun handling skills through defensive-based scenarios. Today IDPA stands as the fastest growing shooting sport in the United States with over 22,000 members from all 50 states and 54 foreign countries. IDPA's 400+ affiliated clubs offer weekly and monthly matches as well as host major championships.

BERRYVILLE, Ark. – IDPA officials announced that GLOCK, the nation’s leading pistol provider to American law enforcement agencies and maker of some of the most popular pistols used in the shooting sports, will be a major sponsor of the 2014 Comp-Tac Republic of Texas IDPA Championship.

“GLOCK has not only been one of IDPA’s strongest industry sponsors, they have also been making some of the most popular handgun models used in our sport. We’re pleased to once again be working with GLOCK to bring great matches like the 2014 Comp-Tac Republic of Texas IDPA Championship to our growing membership,” said Robert Ray, membership and marketing director for IDPA.

Serving as the state’s premier defensive pistol shooting competition and state championship match, the 2014 Comp-Tac Republic of Texas IDPA Championship will take place tomorrow, Saturday, May 24, at the Triple C Tactical Range in Cresson, Texas. The event is being hosted by the Collin County IDPA club.

For more information on IDPA, or to join the more than 23,000 members competing each week, visit www.IDPA.com.

BERRYVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Combat Pistol League, or IDPA Club #1, is once again hosting the IDPA Single Stack Championship. The match will take place at Luther Owens Park in Berryville, Ark. and features 11 world class stages designed around the venerable Single Stack 1911, but is open to all IDPA Divisions.

Drawing on the local shooting history and talent always makes for a great match. Taking full advantage our vast experience ranging from the first guy to run IDPA matches, to five time national match director, with input for HQ, it promises to be a challenging and fun day at the range. 150 plus rounds on five bays and hospitality like you have never seen before, take advantage of the still remaining open slots to get into this match. You can taste history and compete with your friends on the real world stages that will make you want to come back year after year.

For more info on the Arkansas Combat Pistol League, the IDPA Single Stack Championship, or to learn about Luther Owens Park, check out our website at www.acpl.net.